Welcome
We at Orange County Speech Services are committed to providing top quality behavioral therapy (ABA), speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy to our clients, their families and the Southern California medical community.
Our Team
All of our therapists are certified and licensed to practice in the state of California.
Speech Therapists
Elizabeth Mitchell
M.S., SLP, Executive Director OC Speech Services (Speech Therapist)
Elizabeth received a Bachelor of Arts at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology, Linguistics and Speech & Hearing Science) in 2002, and her Masters of Science in Speech Pathology in 2005 from Cal State University, Northridge. She has specialized training and certificates including Stanley Greenspan’s DIR/Floortime therapy approach, the Lindamood-Bell Advanced workshops in auditory comprehension and Visualizing to Verbalizing, Beckman Oral Motor Program techniques, and PROMPT therapy training.​
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Elizabeth began her career in a pediatric outpatient hospital setting co-treating with physical and occupational therapists, and has worked extensively in the public school system and in early intervention with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and a variety of deficits in articulation, oral motor, feeding, auditory processing, reading, social/pragmatics and expressive and receptive language.
Elizabeth is a licensed Speech & Language Pathologist and Clinical Director/Owner of Orange County Speech Services. She is certified member of the California Speech and Hearing Association, a lifelong resident of Southern California, and the mother of three beautiful children.
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Dana Simon
M.S., CCC-SLP (Speech Therapist)
Dana was born and raised in Southern California. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Utah State University and her Master of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders from California State University, Northridge.
Dana has worked with children since she was in high school when she was a camp counselor and later on, as a mommy and me teacher while she was earning her Bachelor's degree. She knew that her leadership skills shined when she got to work with both the children and their parents, enriching and teaching their overall emotional, behavioral, and social development.
Her favorite part of working with OC Speech is the joy she gets to share with parents when she sees a child reach his/her/their goals both in the clinic and at home! In her free time, Dana enjoys spending time with her husband and 2-year-old son.
Kayli Buckingham
A.S., SLPA (Speech Therapist)
Kayli Buckingham received her Associate of Science degree in speech-language pathology assisting from Orange Coast College in 2017 and has been working in the field since 2018. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders at Cal State University Fullerton and plans to pursue a Master of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders as well. Kayli has had previous experience as a behavioral interventionist and respite caregiver before starting her career as a speech-language pathology assistant. She has found a passion for early intervention therapy while working in the field and enjoys helping children strive to meet all their speech and language goals!
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In her free time, she enjoys hiking, shopping, traveling to new states and countries, and spending time with family and friends.
Ruth Jones
SLPA (Speech Therapist, ABA Specialist)
MS in Clinical Counseling, APCC/AMFT
Ruth Jones grew up in Washington State and moved to California, where she graduated from Biola University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and from Cerritos Community College with her Speech Language Pathology Assistant degree. She has worked with children with Autism, since 2003, as a behavior interventionist and supervisor, working in schools, clinics, and homes in the Long Beach and Los Angeles County School Districts. She specializes in ABA, DTT, and Floor Time. Her experience in speech therapy includes individual and group sessions, with client populations ranging from pediatrics to adulthood, covering area deficits such as the following: oral motor, articulation, phonology, fluency, comprehension, social skills, co-treatment with occupational therapy, and more.
In her spare time, she enjoys running, hiking, baking, and hanging out with family and friends.
Hannah Blair
M.S., CCC-SLP (Speech Therapist)
Hannah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Biola University and her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Longwood University in Virginia. Hannah has worked in hospitals, schools, and clinics with children and adults with complex medical conditions, communicative disorders, developmental disabilities, autism, language delay, articulation/phonological disorders, Down Syndrome, apraxia, dysarthria, aphasia, and dysphagia.
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Hannah has special interests and additional trainings in early intervention for speech, language, and cognition, feeding and swallowing disorders, gestalt language processing, sensory integration, and child-led and neurodiversity affirming practices.
In her free time, she enjoys yoga, cooking, reading, being outdoors, and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Rochelle Odell
M.S., CCC-SLP (Speech Therapist)
Rochelle was born and raised in Orange County, California. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences from The George Washington University and a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorder from Chapman University.
Rochelle has been working with children since her early days as a student athlete. Her experiences as a student athlete throughout college have allowed her the opportunity to develop leadership skills required for working with children of all ages and abilities. She has experience working with children with a variety of diagnoses ranging from Autism to articulatory disorders. She values being a role model for children at OCSS and strives to make positive impacts in their lives.
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In her free time, Rochelle loves to spend time with her family and friends. She recently became a mama herself and loves experiencing life through the eyes of her daughter. She loves all kinds of competition and will always say yes to a game night!
Sharlyn Steyman
M.A., CCC-SLP (Speech Therapist)
Sharlyn was born locally in Fountain Valley and moved to the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan at the age of three. She is bilingual (fluent in English and Russian) and happy to offer speech therapy services in both languages. She received her Bachelor’s degree in English from Michigan State University and her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Wayne State University. Throughout graduate school, she worked with children and adults from all walks of life with various communication disorders including Language Delay, Articulation/Phonological Disorders, Fluency Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury, Aphasia, and Dysarthria. She really enjoyed the diversity of clinical experiences she was able to have in the heart of Detroit and surrounding areas.
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Sharlyn especially loves working with children and started in high school as a piano and violin teacher. She continued on to work as a substitute teacher and phonics tutor after becoming certified in the Orton-Gillingham Literacy Approach. She also has additional interest and training in gestalt language processing, child-led and neurodiversity affirming practices, and early intervention. She is extremely passionate about helping children grow in their confidence as they acquire new communication skills. Sharlyn is so happy to be back to her California roots as a part of the team at OC Speech!
In her free time, she enjoys going for hikes at the beach, exercising, traveling, and most of all, basking in the California sunshine.
Kelly Lopez
A.S., SLPA (Speech Therapist)
Kelly Lopez was born and raised in Southern California. Kelly obtained an Associate of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Assistant from Santa Ana College as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is currently licensed in the State of California as a Speech and Language Pathology Assistant. Throughout her career, the passion Kelly has for helping others has been the highlight of her journey. She has worked with infants to high school-aged children in both a school and clinic setting.
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In her spare time, Kelly enjoys reading, working in her garden, taking walks on the beach with friends, and traveling around the world.
Ashley Ortiz
B.S., SLPA (Speech Therapist)
Lead SLPA
Ashley was born in San Diego, Ca, and grew up in a military family where her father served 20 years in the Navy. During that time, she was able to move to different areas in the country as well as living oversees in Sicily for 3 years.
She received a Bachelors of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Biola University. Before becoming a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant, she worked at an adult day program for people with special needs for many years. The program focused on life skills, developing independence and inclusion in the community. There she developed a passion to help advocate for people of all ages with special needs.
She has worked as a SLPA since 2017 in a multidisciplinary setting and has experience working with children 0-21 years and adults with a variety of disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down Syndrome, Intellectual Disorders, Articulation and Phonological Disorders.
She is an active collaborator with the families she serves and the staff she works alongside. She enjoys individualizing her approach to meet every client’s unique needs. In addition to her background in speech and language Ashley has additional training in the areas of sensory strategies, behavioral interventions, multimodal communication, pragmatics, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She has worked with Proloquo2go,
TouchChat, GoTalk, LAMP, PECS, and SpeakForYourself. Ashley wants to help parents have a better understanding of what AAC can be and the many benefits it can potentially have on their child.
In her free time, Ashley enjoys roller skating with friends at the beach. She likes to develop new recipes in the kitchen and loves to cook them for others. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
Katie Thatcher
B.A., SLPA (Speech Therapist)
Hi, I am Kathleen Thatcher but my kids know me by Miss Katie. I am one passionate SLP-A who loves her field and believes that 'Communication is the key to human interaction.' I went through the SLP-A Program at Orange Coast College under two directors (Anne McClanahan and Jimmy Nguyen) during the middle of COVID. I was fortunate to complete my hours at an elementary school in 2021 and be training primarily on telehealth Zoom. I was hired right after graduation and began to gain experience in the private clinical setting in July of 2021. After being in this field nearly 3 years my passion has only grown and after 6 months of experience, I began mentoring through an organization called Non-Slip Mentors. I give time to mentor other SLP-A's and believe in developing others is as important as doing well in your field. I am a local to Huntington Beach and reside with my husband and Australian Shepherd puppy. You can catch me playing video games, going on walks with my puppy and shopping for toys/materials. I hope to continue developing myself and making a difference in all my patients' lives because they greatly enrich mine!
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Arianna Ramirez
A.S., SLPA (Speech Therapist)
Hi I am Arianna Ramirez! I was born and raised in Orange County in a bilingual household (Spanish and English). I graduated from Orange Coast College in 2020 with my A.S degree. I've been in the field as a SLPA for 3 years, and looking towards becoming an SLP in the future. My little sister, who was diagnosed with a hearing impairment and had speech delay, was the primary person who got me interested in this field. It's there I saw her language blossom and grow. Some of my favorite things about being a SLPA are being able to get creative with materials, coming up with new ways to make speech fun and engaging. Second, making connections with my kiddos and their families while helping them meet milestones. In my free time, I like to watch movies with my sisters, go to live music events and go to Karaoke with friends.
Occupational Therapists
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Hollie Fassnacht
B.S. COTA/L (Occupational Therapist)
Hollie Fassnacht has been working as a COTA since 2010. She has 13 years of experience in Pediatric Occupational Therapy and has been with Orange County Speech Services since 2013. Hollie has experience with school and clinic-based OT and now works exclusively in clinic-based intervention.
Hollie believes that the key to seeing success in the children she treats is to make sessions fun by customizing treatment plans to the child’s curiosities, sensory needs and disposition. A child who has their sensory needs met, is supported in exploring their environment and is nurtured to try new things (no matter how big or small) is a child that will grow and make progress.
Hollie has seen how children who attend Occupational Therapy and are part of the OCSS team become more confident in their own skin, start eating foods they have never tolerated before, communicate their needs, and make strides in remaining calm and regulated in order to participate in self-care tasks. Hollie has over 500 hundred hours of continuing education units and is Certified in Beckman Oral Motor Intervention, S.O.S. Pediatric Feeding Intervention (Sequential Oral Sensory), Handwriting Without Tears, The Astronaut Training Program (a sound activated vestibular and ocular coordination program) Torticollis Intervention, Pediatric Kinesio Taping, and Retained Reflex Integration Exercises.
Ariana LeBrun Collier
M.S., OTR/L (Occupational Therapist)
Clinical Director
Ariana received her Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Psychology and Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2008. After graduating, she began working with children providing ABA and parent training services working in homes, schools, and community-based settings. After doing this for several years, Ariana decided to pursue higher education to meet her clients’ and families’ needs more comprehensively. She received her Masters of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy in 2016 from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Ariana’s passion for pediatrics stems from the creativity, excitement, and, at times, silliness involved in creating individualized treatment plans that motivate her clients. Caregiver involvement and ongoing education are central to her approach to therapy. She has experience with early intervention, routines-based intervention, sensorimotor-based feeding difficulties, and sensory processing disorders. Her continuing education has focused on Handwriting Without Tears, the SOS Approach to Feeding, Baby Led Weaning, and Sensory Processing Disorders.
Outside of work, Ariana values and enjoys time spent with her family, running, camping, and taking her dog on long walks to the park or beach.
Brenda Ruiz
COTA/L (Occupational Therapist)
Brenda was born and raised in Anaheim, California. Brenda received her Associates of Science degree in Occupational Therapy at ACC in Orange County, CA . Brenda has an interest in the area of feeding therapy and has skills and strategies in both the SOS approach to feeding therapy and strategies in the Beckman Oral Motor program. Brenda has plans to continue her education by returning to school to get her Master of Science to become an OTR and continue to treat our pediatric OT patients. Brenda always knew she wanted a career in a pediatric setting and a career that involved helping others. She has a true passion for OT and loves working the kids and their families at OC Speech! In her free time Brenda enjoys going on hikes in nature and spending time with her family, younger siblings and cousins.
Vanessa Valdez
A.S COTA/L (Occupational Therapist)
Vanessa was born and raised in Southern California. She earned her A.S. Degree in Occupational Therapy at GCC in San Diego, CA. Vanessa began her career at an inpatient hospital setting co-treating with physical and occupational therapists. She was also fortunate enough to work at an outpatient neuro-rehab facility working with children and adults 0-21 years with an array of disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down Syndrome, Brain Injury, Neurological disorders, and Cerebral Palsy. She now works exclusively in clinic and school-based intervention.
Vanessa’s favorite part about being a pediatric clinician is the ability to create personal connections with kids and their families and to set the foundation for a child’s growth and development. She loves finding creative ways to challenge a child and build their skills in a way that makes the most sense for them! She believes every child is going to need a different approach and level of assistance, and she takes pride in finding the just-right-challenge so that the child can succeed. She plans on continuing her education with emphasis on Beckman Oral Motor, Handwriting Without Tears, and the SOS Approach to Feeding.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, beach days, and spending quality time with her kids, family, and friends.
Joseph Millan
COTA/L (Occupational Therapist)
Joseph was born and raised in Orange County, California. Joseph received his Associates of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Santa Ana College. He is continuing his Occupational Therapy journey by pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Studies, also at Santa Ana College.
When completing his fieldwork experience, Joseph was exposed to various disorders such as, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, OCD, Bipolar Disorder, Down Syndrome, CP, and TBI. While completing his rotation at the non-public school, Joseph instantly fell in love with the children and became heavily motivated in making differences in each child's lives. He has a strong dedication and passion for empowering children and families with the freedom to be independent in their daily lives. He is dedicated to working with families and children of all ages to help make a difference.
In his free time, Joseph is passionate about spending time outdoors by visiting national parks and camping. He loves spending time with family and going on spontaneous road trips to explore new remarkable places. His goal is to visit all 50 states!
Physical Therapists
Kimberly Iacobazzi
DPT (Physical Therapist)
Kimberly was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, where she experienced physical therapy firsthand after a high school track injury. After intensive physical therapy, she went on to become a state champion track athlete. It was at that moment she knew she wanted to join the physical therapy profession. Kimberly received her B.S. in Kinesiology from San Diego State University in 2014 and went on to receive her Doctorate in physical therapy from Chapman University in 2017. Kimberly has fallen in love with the pediatric setting. She has worked with children from ages 0-21 years, with diagnoses such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, spinal cord injury and muscular dystrophy. She has experience in clinic, early intervention, in-home, and school based models of pediatric physical therapy. Kimberly also has extensive experience in medical equipment, assessing, adjusting and ordering the appropriate device to allow her patients to be as independent and safe as possible. She emphasizes current evidence-based practice in all of her treatment plans and is committed to providing the highest standard of care for her patients, stressing family-centered care. Kimberly encourages caregiver involvement as often as possible to allow for children to achieve their optimal potential not only in the clinic, but also at home and in the community.
Kimberly enjoys spending her free time outdoors, practicing yoga, or volunteering at such organizations as Ability Ballet and Therapeutic Dance Intervention for Children with Cerebral Palsy.
Dana Williams
DPT (Physical Therapist)
Dana was born and raised in Burbank, California, where she cultivated an interest in athletics, sports medicine and the medical field. Combining these interests Dana received her B.S. in Kinesiology from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. While achieving this degree she worked as a physical therapy aide where she was first exposed to pediatric physical therapy. She went on to receive her Doctorate in physical therapy from Chapman University in 2021. During her time at Chapman University Dana spent many hours volunteering and completing research with a pediatric focus, specifically Cerebral Palsy. She has experience treating children 0-21 years with a variety of diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and developmental delays. As a practitioner Dana thrives in a multidisciplinary clinic to treat the entire child while encouraging caregiver involvement. Outside of the clinic, Dana enjoys spending her time outdoors, crafting, and with her family and friends.
Sherilyn Baker
B.S., PTA (Physical Therapist Assistant)
Sherilyn was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California. After receiving physical therapy during her high school track season she knew that she wanted to change lives in this field. She was a collegiate heptathalete and recieved her bachelor's of science degree in Kinesiology from California State University, Long Beach. She went on to earn her degree and licensure as a Physical Therapy Assistant.
Sherilyn's time volunteering at Millers childrens hospital solidified her already strong passion for the pediatric population. She has an extensive background working with children with special needs and has experience working in hospital, school, and private clinic settings. She has found her passion is working in a multidisciplinary clinic, maximizing resources for each patients' highest level of development. Sherilyn has experience working with a range of diagnoses including autism, cerebral palsy, hypotonia, and muscular dystrophy. She strongly believes in family focused treatment, getting caregivers involved in each patients journey to reaching their goals, and play based therapy for her younger patients. Sherilyn approaches each treatment session with evidence based practice. All of these passions facilitate her patients' paths to becoming as independent as possible while reaching their full potential. Sherilyn thoroughly enjoys working at OC Speech Services where teamwork is used to make each patient's success the top priority.
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Behavioral Therapists
Melissa Ault
M.S., B.C.B.A (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) A.B.A
Melissa grew up in the midwest and made her way out to beautiful southern California for college. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies and teaching credential to be an Educational Specialist with mild to moderate disabilities from Concordia University Irvine.
Melissa has worked in the educational setting for 9 years and has over 11 years experience working with individuals with Autism and other abilities. Melissa pursued her Masters in Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Simmons University and then continued to obtain her National Board Certification.
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Melissa enjoys spending time with her family, including her wonderful husband, kind and loving daughter, and spunky Labradoodle. Melissa’s favorite part of working at OC Speech is developing programming to support individuals and families to improve their lives and effectively improve socially significant behavior in a play based, child centered way!
Bailey Dismang
M.S., Applied Behavioral Analysis
Mid-level Supervisor/Registered Behavioral Technician
Bailey was born and raised in Orange County. She attended California State University San Marcos, where she received her bachelors in Human Development with and emphasis in counseling. She then went on to get her masters in Applied Behavioral Analysis from National University in La Jolla, CA. Bailey is currently a prospective candidate for her BCBA (Board Certified Behavioral Analyst) certification.
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Bailey has dedicated the last 8 years of her career gaining knowledge and experience in early intervention, in home ABA, as well as experience in the school system from preschoolers all the way up to high schoolers. Bailey's greatest joy is watching clients make progress and helping parents/caregivers with the tools to continue the client's progress.
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In her free time, Bailey enjoys spending time going for walks, going on trips with friends, and binge-watching TV shows with her dog, and if you can't find her, she's probably at the beach!
Alexandria Rubalcava
B.S., Family and Human Services ​
​BT (Behavioral Therapist)
Alex was born and raised in Southern California. She received her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Oregon. While earning her undergraduate degree, Alex completed multiple field studies and worked at the universities' Prevention Science Institute. This allowed her the opportunity to get hands on experience working in pediatric clinics, schools, and conducting research in behavioral health.
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After graduating, Alex pursued ABA therapy and has since worked with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disorders (ID), as well as global developmental delay (GDD). She loves helping the children here at OCSS work on their behavioral development, functional communication, and social skills.
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Outside of the clinic, she enjoys the beach, traveling, trying new coffee shops, and spending time with family.
Office Administrators
Jamia "Mia" Hogan
Lead Administrative Team Member
Jamia was born and raised in Lakewood, Ca. Growing up she loved kids and spent her free time babysitting and eventually became a part-time nanny while finishing high school. She spent the next 7 years working in the dental field on the administrative team, with the last two years working in an oral surgery office.
In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her husband and family. She enjoys going to concerts and sports games. She loves traveling and learning about culture, food, music, and language. Rainy days at home watching movies with her husband is what makes her truly happy.
Ozmara "Ozzy" Munoz Torres
Administrative Team Member
Ozzy received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton and plans to return to school to obtain her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She has worked in a medical administrative role for various providers such as; behavioral clinics, school sites and sports therapy clinics for the past 11 years.
During her free time, she loves to spend time with her daughter and family watching movies or playing games. She loves coaching her daughter's soccer team on the weekends and going to watch their favorites teams play as well. She also loves her early workouts, music/concerts, traveling and trying new foods.
Nicole Masero
B.A., Director of Finance
Nicole received a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution from San Diego State University. Nicole has worked in logistics, manufacturing, and health care in executive, finance, and business operations roles.
Nicole has dedicated countless hours and expertise working at Orange County Speech Services since 2015 and is a wealth of knowledge and support for the team. Nicole brings innovation and entrepreneurship to the company while daily managing financial and non-clinical operations. She is the mother of 3 beautiful children and enjoys time with her family and extended family.